Importance of Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy is an important and highly-effective treatment for a wide variety of cancers
Role of Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy is an important and highly-effective cancer treatment.
Radiation therapy has a role in curing 40% of all cancers worldwide and also plays a significant role in prolonging life, relieving symptoms and pain management.
A wide variety of cancers can be treated using radiation therapy, including: bowel cancer, uterine cancer, breast cancer, skin cancer, prostate cancer, head and neck cancer and lung cancer.
Importantly, radiation therapy can also be used in conjunction with other treatment, such as surgery, to significantly reduce the risk of cancer recurrence.
Underutilisation of Cost-Effective Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy is an underutilised form of cancer treatment.
Only 1 in 3 Australian cancer patients receive radiation therapy.
This should be 1 in 2, in line with Europe and North America.
Concerningly, 62% of prostate cancer patients and 48% of lung cancer patients do not receive radiation therapy in line with best-practice care.
This underutilisation is despite radiation therapy being more cost-effective than other cancer treatments, costing 6 cents in every dollar the Australian Government spends on cancer treatments.
Regional, Rural, Remote and Indigenous Communities
Underutilisation intensifies for regional, rural, remote and indigenous communities.
What we know is that cancer patients are 10% less likely to receive radiation therapy for every 100km they live from a treatment centre.
This means Australians are suffering significant disadvantages based entirely on where they happen to live.
Join ROAC to drive better access to radiation therapy
ROAC encourages anyone with an interest in increasing access to radiation therapy or ROAC’s ongoing advocacy to join and collaborate with ROAC and stay informed of ROAC’s activities. Complete this form to express your interest in joining or collaborating with ROAC or simply to be kept informed of ROAC’s ongoing activities.
